I began the new year with a visit to a Sivananda ashram in the Bahamas. This was my third visit, and each time I've come away with new knowledge about myself. I originally chose it because I felt a special connection to the Bahamas where my husband John and I often sailed. I went to the ashram the first time in 2018, a year-and-a-half after John passed away, and spent evenings on the dock staring at the harbor where I could almost make out our sailboat, Laughing Goat, ghosting by, with younger versions of John, our daughter Kate, and me. At a workshop that year, the speaker asked us to choose a photograph from a pile that spoke to us in some way. From among the pictures of puppies and beaches, I picked a black-and-white drawing of a man on a ledge, eyes wide and frightened, a spotlight shining down from above and a black abyss below. Although I hadn't admitted it to myself, the world was scary at first without John. This year, I understood how much I have healed.
I like having markers that show how I've progressed, even when it often doesn't feel that way. I'd love to hear about any that you've found helpful.
In January, I've been working on my new book, had a delightful interview with Ben Shaw for his terrific podcast, Out the Gate, about Holding Fast: A Memoir of Sailing, Love, and Loss, my book about our sailing journey, and I have a few interviews coming up. I'll post links when they are aired.
If you'd like to read more about my sailing adventure with my husband and daughter, please go here.
If you enjoyed the book, please consider posting a review on Amazon. Simply click the above link, scroll down to the reviews, and write one or two phrases. It's tremendously helpful to writers like me who are not as famous as John Grisham!
Wishing you all a fabulous 2023!